[DELTA GREEN] - Pulp Action Feats and Special Training

For my 1940s "Monster Squad" scenarios I've decided to add a little extra flair. Players may pick any two from the following lists to give to their PCs (that is, two feats, two special trainings, or one feat and one special training). 

In most cases, feats offer unique bonuses in combat or special effects outside of it. Special trainings are typically - though not always - tied to a skill or statistic.

Learning a new feat or special training is a Home Scene; doing so reduces one Bond by 1D4.

 CLOSE-COMBAT FEATS

SUCKER-PUNCH: Rename your Unarmed to something more auspicious (e.g. Karate, Commando training, Wrestling savante). On a successful Unarmed attack roll you don't need to roll for damage; instead you may choose how much it inflicts, up to the maximum allowed (e.g. if your Unarmed deals 1D4 damage, a successful roll can inflict 1, 2, 3 or 4 damage). On a Critical success you can inflict up to double that amount.

ARMOR-BUSTER: On a Critical Unarmed or Melee roll you can choose to "tear apart" physical armor, removing the equivalent of your maximum damage (e.g. you critically succeed at Unarmed for 1D4 damage; you choose to rip apart 4-points of the opponent's 5-points of armor, leaving it with only 1-point). Things this feat can be used upon are up to the Handler, but might include: armor provided by cars, deep ones' scales, bulletproof glass, etc. It is unlikely to work on buildings, Huge creatures or vehicles like tanks.

FIGHTING TO LIVE: You are skilled in the art of Melee weapons. After a successful Melee attack roll you don't need to roll for damage; instead you may choose how much it inflicts, up to the maximum allowed (e.g. if your weapon deals 1D6 damage, a successful roll can inflict 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6 damage). On a Critical success you can inflict up to double that amount.

KNIFEY-SPOONY: Pick a single melee weapon as your signature weapon. You gain a +20% to your Melee Weapon roll when using it in combat. If you permanently lose this weapon for whatever reason, you must choose a new signature weapon for your next Opera.

JAILHOUSE SHEATH: You can secrete one small knife (1D4, AP3) or sap (1D6) about your person which is unable to found during a visual or pat-down search. This concealment will not withstand X-rays, a metal detector, or full cavity search. It takes one round to ready the weapon for combat.

FIREARMS FEATS

SNAP-SHOOTER: You can shoot with a firearm twice per combat turn, once at DEX and a second time at half DEX rounded up (e.g. if your DEX is 13 you can shoot then and again at DEX 7). You cannot Aim if you do this. if you use a lethality weapons it is assumed to have used all the ammo in the magazine and need reloading.

GUNS AKIMBO: If equipped with two pistols you can fire both weapons at one target, or fire once at two separate targets at the same time. This cannot be used be stacked onto the Snap-Shooter feat.

HOT-LOADED: You always have bullets in your gun and never seem to need to reload. If you grab an unloaded firearm from somewhere there's always one bullet in the chamber (or up your sleeve, or otherwise nearby).

LUCKY BULLET: Prior to an Opera you may prepare one lucky bullet for one specific gun in your possession (this is a single round; it cannot be a shotgun shell, grenade, lethality weapon, etc.). An Agent may only carry one lucky bullet at any time and only use it once during a scenario, but they may make and keep multiple bullets in storage.

If the player declares his character is firing the bullet, it is fired on his next turn (so long as the shooter takes no damage before his next turn). The bullet automatically hits (so long as it is possible for it to do so) and deals 3x the rolled damage. With a Critical success in Firearms, the bullet also bypasses all non-supernatural armor worn by the individual. Making a new Lucky Bullet after the first is used takes place during a Home Scene. It costs 1D6 to one Bond and requiring a single D100 roll that is beneath both Firearms and Unnatural. If not taken during n order to learn this feat during a Home Scene the PC must pass a D100 roll that is beneath both Firearms and Unnatural.

FEDERALLY LICENSED: You are the proud bearer of a Federal Firearms Certificate, allowing you to legally own federally controlled firearms. This includes fully-automatic weapons and certain types of sawn-off shotguns. Normally you have to ask for permission from the LAPD when you want a Tommy Gun (and must hand it back when the job's done). Now you can bring your own. Actually buying up these weapons still requires resource rolls and a place to store them.

COWBOY DRAW: You can draw, cock and fire a firearm all on the same turn. You can even draw and fire two pistols in the same round (at -20% to hit for both) if you also have the Guns Akimbo feat.

 SOCIAL AND CHARISMA FEATS

DO I KNOW YOU?: People who don't know you are sure you look like someone they recognize. Or maybe you just look like someone famous. Unless they have a reason to dislike you (e.g. you're in their cult stronghold, you just punched their friend, you stole their car etc.), they're inclined to let you get away with minor inconveniences or lend you small things - or they might just choose to throw you out of where you're not meant to be, rather than breaking your kneecaps. Cannot be taken alongside the Easily Misplaced Face feat.

EASILY MISPLACED FACE: You've got a face people forget. Unless you gave your real name before doing something horribly egregious, people often forget they've met you. Useful when you get caught breaking in somewhere or when you don't want to be picked out of a police line-up. Cannot be taken alongside the Do I Know You? feat.

I KNOW A GUY: Pick one Generic NPC from the Handler guide (e.g. police detective, academic, cult leader, etc.) and name them. They are an expert in their field and can be called upon to provide help with their Important Skills. Usually best to pick a buddy with skills diametrically opposed to your own. Can be taken multiple times.

HORSE-WHISPERER: Animals really like you. With a CHAx5 roll you can calm down angry animals or otherwise make them docile and friendly. On a Critical Success the animal is inclined to see you as a better bet than its original owner. This doesn't make you any more experienced in riding them, however. Interestingly, you're also never affected by lice or bedbugs.

INFAMOUS: You've got a name and you've got a reputation - both of 'em bad'uns. This isn't just Criminology and knowing the seedy underbelly of the City of Angels; this is holding your own among the scum of the Earth. Your presence provokes concern in right-fearing citizens; cops cross the street. By describing how you cruelly intimidate someone you may also gain +20% to your interpersonal skills with them, albeit at the cost of making them hate and fear you. Cannot be taken alongside Easily Misplaced Face.

FRIENDS IN HIGH PLACES: You have some friends who can guarantee you invitations to swanky soirees, high-society parties and Hollywood galas. One (nominally for yourself, but always useful as a bribe) is automatic; CHAx5 to get some for your friends. Your high-society hobnobbers also have the ear of the city's best and brightest, so if you need some info or access, they're your people.

TECHNICAL FEATS

POLYGLOT: You can determine what living (or dead) language is being spoken or written just by hearing or seeing it. While this doesn't mean you can always understand it, with a CHAx5 roll you know someone who might be able to translate it or act as an interpreter. Also, at 20% in any Other Language you are effectively fluent, though unable to pass yourself off as a native (that requires 50%).

NIGHT SIGHT: You suffer one less penalty level for darkness, while your heightened tactile senses allow you to feel your way rapidly around unfamiliar places if blinded, blindfolded or otherwise in darkness. (No, being blind does not negate SAN loss from the Unnatural - if anything it's scarier.)

NEVER UNAWARE: You are never surprised by an ambush or by something falling from a high window upon your fragile head. In combat, so long as you are not unconscious, you are never caught unawares. If you are asleep your hair-trigger senses wake you seconds before the assault (making you Active But Unaware, as per rules). If a potentially injurious and sudden non-combat incident occurs, the Handler may (though it is not required) provide an Athletics or Dodge roll to evade it.

POISON-TAKER: You are immune to poisons of less than 10% lethality - though not ones from Unnatural sources. You're also immune to the effects of alcohol, and are able to drink the entire bar under the table. Unfortunately, this means you also lack a sense of taste, leaving you unable to recognize ingredients in your food or additives to your drinks.

STUDIOUS: Your study of occult tomes and learning of magic is one level lower than for other folk. If a book or ritual normally takes weeks, for you it is days. If it is days it becomes hours. Something requiring hours is, for you, a brisk skim. This does not negate any SAN or other damage.

ROLLING lAB: You begin with an automobile, its trunk tricked out with its own impromptu darkroom (for developing photographs) and simple laboratory with chemicals and forensic study equipment (gunpowder residue, wax-casts, etc.). You no longer need to send recovered material to a specialist lab for study. On the other hand, you can't fill the trunk full of guns.

ACADEMIC: You're enrolled in a college (maybe under the GI Bill), or lecture there, or people just think you're meant to be there, because you have academic credentials. You can borrow books, access specialist materials and laboratories, meet professors, claim cheap lunches at diners, and hang around with frat-boys.

SPECIAL TRAININGS

FALLING WITH STYLE (ATHLETICS or DEX): Any idiot can jump out of a plane or window using Athletics, but you go one step further. You suffer no damage for falling from three meters, and suffer just 1D6 damage for falls of up to six meters. Anything higher than that is still lethality. You know how to dive through a window without taking damage. With a successful Athletics or DEX roll you can also guide a parachute to a specific landing spot.

WHEELMAN (DRIVE): Not only can you perform astonishing feats of driving derring-do, pushing your vehicle to ludicrous excess, you can also roll at a -20% penalty to pull off a dangerous stunt and immediately catch up with a fleeing target.You may also attack while driving at a -20% penalty. In the event you crash, are rammed or engage in ramming, no matter the speed, you never take more than 1D6 damage.

BARNSTORMER (PILOT): So long as you have the Pilot skill, you can fly any propeller or lighter-than-air craft. You may also attack with firearms while flying, though at a -20% penalty. In the event you crash, are rammed or engage in ramming, no matter the speed, you never take more than 1D6 damage (falling from a great height after such an aerial smash, however, still suffers regular damage).

DOORS CAN'T STOP ME: You know how to pick locks, crack safes and bypass security features. So long as you have the right equipment, roll 1D100. The sum is how many seconds, minutes or hours it takes to get past what's blocking you (e.g. rolling 51 means 6 seconds to open a simple padlock; 6 minutes for a safe, and 6 hours for a high-security bank-vault).

10-MINUTE LUNG CAPACITY: You can hold your breath for a very long time (10-minutes in fact). Suffocation is practically impossible, even by choking, although it's helpful to remove anything blocking your windpipe before your need for air does eventually return.

LEGAL BEAGLE (LAW): You're not only knowledgable about American law, but laws all across the world. This gives an edge when committing crimes overseas or helping bring to justice some illicit foreigner operating on US shores. If you have this Special Training and 80% Law you're so well versed you've got effective diplomatic immunity overseas - though that doesn't mean their cops won't deport or just extrajudicially shoot you if you annoy them.

GONE NATIVE (ANTHROPOLOGY or INT): You're able to move freely among different communities, knowing just enough not to upset people and to allay their fears that you're an outsider. While not granting knowledge of their languages, it allows you to be treated as something other than a tourist, find useful people, discover the best places to get food, and stay relatively safe in potentially dangerous areas.

BUTTER BARS (MILITARY SCIENCE): You still have some standing in the military, perhaps thanks to a role in the reserves or because your wartime work is used as a case-study for junior officers. Either way you can gain access to the more open parts of military bases and have friends on the general staff. They won't hand out military equipment (except in the darkest of circumstances), but can be a source of information on anything from wartime personnel records to the real reason the Navy went on a night-time sweep off Venice Beach. While all PCs with a military profession have links to the armed forces, this goes above and beyond a "professional relationship" and into the realm of actual friendship.